Minister stands by IRA crime assessment

Northern Ireland Security Minister Shaun Woodward tonight stood by his controversial assessment that the IRA was distancing itself from organised crime.

Amid demands for his resignation after a top detective seemed to contradict him, Mr Woodward also claimed his views had been distorted and grossly misrepresented.

The Security Minister hit out at breaches of confidentiality in a letter to Northern Ireland Policing Board Chairman Sir Desmond Rea.

He stressed that the Provos as an organisation had undergone big changes since it declared an end to its armed campaign last July.

“My comments of December 13 have been caricatured by taking them out of context,” he said.

“There is clearly a distinction to be made between the activity of individuals and the intention of organisations.

“The point I have been making is that government believes that the Provisional leadership intends to take the organisation in a different direction.”

Mr Woodward was plunged into a political row after Assistant Chief Constable Sam Kinkaid told a private meeting of the board on Tuesday that the IRA was still involved in crime.

After details were leaked from the briefing, attended by Mr Woodward, Democratic Unionist leader the Rev Ian Paisley urged the minister to quit.

“I believe he (Mr Woodward) should go,” said the North Antrim MP.

“If the British government is going to use a report in an untruthful way to try and paint a picture which had not been painted for them by the security forces, then that is an act of deception.

“Let the people have the facts, not the colouring of those facts to suit political policy.”

Sir Desmond has expressed dismay at the breach in confidence.

He said: “If the initial breach of confidentiality in respect of yesterday’s briefing emanated from a member of this board, I have no doubt that the vast majority of the board will be disappointed to say the least.

“This breach, regardless of where it emanated, has damaged that trust and that is a matter of regret.”

And in the letter issued to him tonight, Mr Woodward said he was concerned at the developments.

“I am clear, as are the PSNI, that there have been significant changes in PIRA activity, including in the area of criminality, since July,” he said.

“But there are complex assessments to be made in distinguishing between criminality by individual PIRA members for their own gain and criminality carried out by PIRA members which is authorised by the organisation.”

It is up to the Independent Monitoring Commission ceasefire watchdog to comment on these issues in its critical forthcoming assessment, the minister insisted.

He added: “I agree that the Policing Board should be briefed on how the Organised Crime Task Force is tackling organised crime.

“However I must express the view that yesterday’s breach of confidentiality is a matter of considerable concern.

“We must consider together how ministers and senior police officers can provide important and sensitive briefings to the Policing Board in the future, ensuring that confidentiality is maintained.

“Given the public interest which has now arisen following yesterday’s confidential briefing, I am putting this letter into the public domain since it deals with a breach of confidentially which led to a distorted and misleading discussion in the media, grossly misrepresenting my views.”